Are you always recharging or replacing the batteries in your handheld devices? Have we got news for you: Hitachi says it has developed a fuel-cell battery that uses methanol, air, and water to provide a cheap, long-lasting power source for portable devices.

The prototype is about 0.4 inches in diameter and 2.0 inches to 2.4 inches long, or similar to an AA battery. Hitachi says it plans to continue development of the device and put it on the market in 2005 along with a compatible PDA. At least two other Japanese companies, NEC and Toshiba, are developing similar devices.

For the Future

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